IDF educates Israelis for missile attack

Monday, December 24, 2007 |
by Staff Writer

Israel's Home Front Command this week launched a campaign to prepare Israelis for the possibility of a major ballistic missile attack on the Jewish state.

Army officials said they do not necessarily believe war is just around the corner, but with escalating tensions in the region felt the public should be immediately educated on how to withstand the Arab missile attacks on Israeli civilians that are expected to accompany any confrontation.

The news comes just days after a Syrian parliament member told Arab media that if Syria is attacked, presumably by either Israel or the US, it will launch a ballistic missile strike on Israel's nuclear reactor in the southern town of Dimona.

Despite the renewed talk of war between Israel and Syria, the Jewish state continues to view Iran as its greatest regional threat.

Officials in the Islamic Republic on Monday announced a tender for the construction of 19 new nuclear facilities. Israel and most Western powers remain convinced Iran is seeking to acquire nuclear arms, and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has suggested on several occasions he would use such weapons to destroy Israel.

However, a recently published study by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies predicted that Israel would win a nuclear exchange with Iran. Based on presumption largely due to a lack of knowledge regarding Israel's nuclear capabilities, the study determined that in the event of a nuclear war, 16-20 million Iranians would lose their lives, as opposed to 200,000-800,000 Israelis.

According to the document, Israel's anti-missile defenses and superior missile accuracy would give it a decisive edge.

Want more news from Israel?Click Here to sign up for our FREE daily email updates